Read and Learn: Some (More) Thoughts on Special Needs

After I wrote my post last week about special needs, I began a class on Presbyterian Polity. Even in reading through the first few chapters of the Book of Order, it was striking to me how the thoughts in my post played out on the pages so to speak. Here I will highlight two portions but please be assured there are many more instances I could cite.

This portion comes from chapter 4 of the Book of Order which is entitled "The Church and Its Unity."

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shall give full expression to the rich diversity within its membership and shall provide means which will assure a greater inclusiveness leading to wholeness in its emerging life. Persons of all racial ethnic groups, different ages, both sexes, various disabilities, diverse geographical areas, different theological positions consistent with the Reformed tradition, as well as different marital conditions (married, single, widowed, or divorced) shall be guaranteed full participation and access to representation in the decision making of the church. (G-9.0104ff)

Book of Order G-4.0403 (italics mine)

I am thankful for the phrase "full participation" here as rationalizing the ways and degree to which people who have special needs or disabilities participate might seem legitimate enough on the surface, but are they really?

This next portion comes from chapter 5 which is entitled "The Church and Its Members."

The congregation shall welcome all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus Christ and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of his Church. No persons shall be denied membership because of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, or any other reason not related to profession of faith. Each member must seek the grace of openness in extending the fellowship of Christ to all persons. (G-9.0104) Failure to do so constitutes a rejection of Christ himself and causes a scandal to the gospel.

Book of Order G-5.0103

It is true that "disability" is not explicitly mentioned in this passage, but the catch all phrase "or any other reason not related to profession of faith" leaves lots of room for that. The last sentence of this passage is quite sobering. In what ways do I cause a scandal to the gospel by rejecting Christ as manifested in others? How are the limitations I place on others representative of the limitations I put on God?

Gracious and loving God, help us see past the limitations of cognitive and physical abilities. Let us remember that you do not look at people the way we do for whereas we often look at the appearance, you O God, look at the heart. Help us see as you do Lord. Amen

Read and Learn: Some Thoughts on Special Needs

Recently I had a great conversation with a friend of mine about how to incorporate people with special needs into the life of the church. For my friend it is a challenge as she has a son with aspergers syndrome (which falls on the autism spectrum) who has not been able to attend Sunday School for some time now. For me it is a challenge because as someone soon to be entering into ministry, these are important things for me to explore and seek to understand. But it is important for all because these are our brothers and sisters who seek the very same things we do: love, acceptance, and meaning in life.

For the most part, our culture and society tell us that those with "special needs" or "disabilities" are not capable of contributing to society. Individuals with special needs are not always able to live independently. It seems rather selfish to me really. When you serve someone who has a disability, from the get go you know it isn't going to be reciprocal. Or is it? For those with cognitive disabilities, we wonder how this person could teach us anything being that our ability to understand is better than theirs. Or are there other ways of understanding?

In our society we place a high value on verbal communication and cognitive understanding. But are these the only ways in which we learn and communicate? And to take it to the next level so to speak, are these the only ways in which God communicates to and ministers to people? If someone cannot cognitively understand that Jesus is God's Son does that mean they don't understand that at all?

There is another friend of mine who has a son who has high-functioning autism. He once told me a story about how he asked his son a question about God. I don't remember the question my friend asked and I don't remember the answer his son gave, but I do remember that it brought my friend to tears. God spoke through my friend's son that day.

Another thing that is a significant part of this conversation is the question of who is ministering to whom? In one of Henri Nouwen's books ( I cannot recall which one at the moment) he speaks about how often we go to the hospital to sit at someone's bedside and minister to those who are sick and dying. Nouwen proposes that it is in fact the other way around. After all, someone who is dying is probably a lot closer to God in those moments than we are. They are not relying on God day by day, but rather minute by minute. So it seems to me that there is a shift that needs to be made from ministering to individuals with special needs to ministering with individuals with special needs as well as allowing ourselves to be ministered to by individuals with special needs.

There is much more I would like to write about this but there are so many thoughts bouncing around in my head at the moment that are preventing me from doing so. I would invite your comments and would specifically be interested in those of you who have been a part of a church (or churches) in the past that have been welcoming of those with special needs in such a way that these individuals became integral parts of the life of the church. In closing, I must say that I am only recently entering this conversation so please let me know if anything I have said is offensive or wrong headed.

Spread the Word to End the Word

...not The Word. The r-word.

President Obama made a controversial comment as Jay Leno was giving him polite praise for working to improve his bowling skills. Some people saw the comment as "people in Special Olympics are bad bowlers;" and some saw it as "we praise effort in Special Olympics, not an absolute measure of achievement."

I believe that, as a Christian, I'm asked to "praise effort" as a general course, not just in the case of those that don't perform at a level generally accepted as typical or successful. I love watching my young, intellectually disabled daughter try to learn and do new things, even when she isn't successful, even when she's 2+ years behind her peers. It is frustrating. Sometimes sad. Sometimes scared. Every single time, though, she deserves my praise for the hard work and effort she put into trying. Only when she doesn't try am I disappointed.

The same goes true for those that we sometimes declare as successful or label overachievers. If they aren't pushing themselves to achieve their fullest potential, then they aren't contributing to their fullest. I believe that is what God asks us to do - our best and our fullest. We when do, we should praise each other for that as well - not just for the achievement; but also for the effort, dedication, inspiration, and courage that lead to the achivement.

PC(USA) and Disability

One of the good things about this particular presidential election is that it's drawing attention to disability-related issues. As the parent of a child with special needs, this is an important topic to me. If it's interesting to you, click over to my blog on Monday for a look at the candidates, their platforms, and their political histories with regard to disability rights.

In the meantime, I thought I'd take a look at the way our denomination has addressed individuals with disabilities.

1. First, there's PHEWA, Presbyterian Health Education and Welfare Association Disability Concerns Consultants. I don't know much about this program, but I think it promising that the denomination is proactive about these issues, rather than reacting to "problems" as they arise. Ahem. No one wants to be a considered a problem.
   
2. Creating an Inclusive Community and Bias-Free Guidelines.
   
3. Also, research.
   
4. Videos, though I failed to find what I was looking for, there.
   
5. There are 1410 results when you search for "disability" on the PC(USA) web site. (I wish to note that the site's search results are difficult to wade through.)

In my opinion, the denomination is talking the talk. Walking the walk, however, is not something I believe can be mandated from denominational headquarters or General Assembly resolutions.

Creating an inclusive and truly welcoming community for people with disabilities is the work of each of us, members in local congregations. It will challenge us to move out from our comfort zones, our safety. It might be hard and it might be scary. But it's what we're called to do.

Luke 14:12-24 (New International Version)
12 Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
The Parable of the Great Banquet
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."
16 Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'
18 "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'
19 "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'
20 "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'
21 "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
22 "'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'
23 "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"